Customer Reviews

Lost

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This beautifully-written book offers both compelling characters in Essie, Zelda and Harriet, and a fascinating time and setting (Lower East Side Manhattan, early 1900s). On a deeper level, LOST is Essie's journey from grief and denial to wholeness and the future's possibilities.

LOST's personalized view of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy toward the book's end is gripping and an important part of the plot, but even without this historic event or the sub-plot of a missing heiress, LOST would stand as Essie's story.

On an aesthetic note, the novel is beautifully bound with alternating chapters (Essie's remembrances of her sister) printed on pages that look like patchy walls of a tenement flat. The book's cover is exquisite and the jacket flaps' contrast ink matches the pink endpapers--simple design details that make reading this book even more of a pleasure.

I've always been drawn to stories about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in NYC, March 26, 1911, that killed 141 people, mostly seamstress girls. I don't know why. Maybe a previous life?

Jacqueline Davies has written a historical fiction that interweaves this tragedy with another tragedy at the time for which I was unaware. On January 26, 1911 The New York Times reported on the disappearance of a Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold, the daughter of a wealthy family and niece of a former Supreme Court justice. Although the story was reported on this date, the family had mysteriously waited six weeks to report the disappearance to police. This story was mysterious from the beginning, and received a lot of press, none stating that Miss Arnold had been located until April, 1921, when the then head of The Bureau of Missing Persons in NYC reported that the police had solved the case!

The main character of the story works at Triangle but the storyline does not concentrate on her job. Instead readers are lead through the tragedy of her family using flashbacks. It is difficult in the beginning to follow the story; however, once you get the rhythm, you can't wait for the next flashback. With a "surprise" ending, I'm certain that the author meant for the tension to rise, but I figured out the "surprise" rather early.

In spite of this, I truly enjoyed the book that depicts the life of immigrants in NYC in the early 20th century and gives you an excellent "feel" of NYC at the time. The author expertly presents a plausible interaction between a fictional character and a real one. She also does an awesome job of pointing out the contrasts between the disparate lives of a young immigrant woman with a woman from a rich and well-connected family that is timeless.

Although this book is considered Young Adult fiction, just like almost all YA Fiction it is an excellent read for all ages, especially those with an intense interest in history.

I give this 4 Stars.

A fantastic story interweaving the tragety of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, the daytime, unexplainable vanishing of a wealthy socialite, and the abject poverty of New York in the early 1900s. There is so much more to this than just the personal stories of the characters and the history. All of that is there, but it somehow adds up to more than just the "snapshot" you often get with a historical novel. The losses the main character endures are enough to break your heart, but her determination and perserverance stay with you long past the end of the book. Very highly recommended!

This book is sold as youth fiction and is appropriate for precocious 12+ but deals with some very mature themes. My daughter picked it up and the library and after she finished recommended it to me, something she rarely does. I read it in less than 2 days and was completely spellbound by Essie's story. The author does exceptional work in weaving together two converging timelines and writes with heartbreaking emotion and skill. Despite unbearable tragedy the ending is filled with hope and triumph. It was enough to make a grown man cry. Don't miss it!

I found Essie to be an interesting character. I loved how she cared for Zelda and also her belief in people. Zelda made me laugh and was a humor to this book, through flashbacks and the emotions broke my heart at times. I also enjoyed Harriet's discovery in the reality of life and also the fact that she was based on Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold and her disappearance that happen around that time. The plot was very rich with colorful memories and historical facts. I enjoyed the atmosphere that was created in the setting and also the colorful characters in a time that people were starving every second. I loved the inclusion of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and the event that later happened. I also found the book to be very original with the twist and turns of the plot. Davies weaves an amazing book that will grab the attentions of readers. I would highly suggest this book to the fans of A Northern Light and other historical fiction books in the Young Adult genre.

Jacqueline Davies' LOST can be classified a variety of ways -- historical fiction; young adult -- but no ho-hum genre description could come close to capturing the spirit of the story. I started the book at 8 p.m. on a weeknight and read it straight through, without pause, knowing I'd have to be up for work in mere hours. That's just the kind of fast-paced, easy-to-read, compelling book it was.

More than anything, the novel felt like an exploration of grief . . . and as such, you'd expect it to be depressing, plodding and painful. But Davies writes with a light hand, showing us shades of Essie and revealing facts over time -- never letting us get muddled down in the shadowy details. Each character became so real to me, vivid and beyond description -- and even those I wanted to dislike, like Essie's mother, were sympathetic figures.

The juxtaposition between the boring, dull work Essie performed in the factory and the whimsical, imaginative and fun of her hat-making was interesting, too, and was the perfect way to showcase how talented Essie was -- though her life in New York kept her mired in anything but creative pursuits. It was impossible not to want a hat from Essie -- the devoted sister, the dutiful daughter. And, as in Harriet's case, the loyal friend.

As a modern woman, factory life is impossible for me to imagine: the incredibly long hours in a hot, dirty factory, often without breaks; the painful, time-consuming work; the terrible lighting conditions; sharing a work space with so many other tired, exhausted women, and for so little pay. I work in a comfortable, air-conditioned office, where I'm compensated well for my work. I get a lunch break. And if I ever got tired of what I do -- or felt like I was being treated unfairly? I could leave. Get a new job. Move.

For someone like Essie? Well, that was out of the question. And when Harriet comes onto the scene -- Harriet, the enigma -- you realize just how out of the question it was for her, too. Learning about Harriet throughout the course of the novel, including the own secrets she wore close to her heart, was fascinating.

In fact, that's a good word for LOST: fascinating. Full of rich imagery and unforgettable passages. And though it's hard for me to classify in a few simple words, I'd recommend it very highly to fans of historical fiction and young adult -- or anyone looking for a heartbreaking story. Not a novel I'll soon forget.

In the early 1900's many young girls from immigrant families worked in factories. Essie knows there is something different about the new girl Harriet. She is different from the other girls at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Essie's quest to find out the truth about Harriet deflects the pain of her own losses. Essie's mother, depressed and angry since the death of her husband, has allowed Essie to be the primary caretaker of her baby sister. Essie's obsession with her baby sister is only quelled by her curiosity about Harriet. As their relationship develops, Essie discovers Harriet's true identity and finally begins to accept the true fate of her baby sister. The author has created a multi-layered plot that incorporates tragic historical events in a seamless, compelling drama that draws the readers into story. Jewish immigrant life is far from glamorized, but the strength of Essie's character, in spite of life altering obstacles, is a symbol of hope in difficult times. The setting and historical details, down to Essie's Yiddish vernacular, are impeccable. The impact of loss and poverty on the human spirit is palpable. Teachers and librarians will appreciate the historical aspects of this gripping novel. Young readers will be drawn to Essie and her emotional journey. - BARBARA BIETZ - OAK PARK, CA

Lost is about Essie, a 17-year-old Jewish girl who lives in Manhattan in 1911. She works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, which means she can't take care of her 6-year-old sister, Zelda, quite so much, but Essie promises to make it up to Zelda.

Essie is tasked with helping one of the new girls, Harriet, at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, and they quickly become friends. There's something about Harriet that Essie relates to, something tragic and sorrowful. Something about her that's lost.

As you dig deeper into Lost, you learn that Essie's mental state might not be all that stable. The author wonderfully goes back and forth between the present and the past, putting a puzzle together that slowly takes shape.

Essie has to navigate through loss and despair so she can get to acceptance and move forward with her life. Woven in with Essie's journey is the fictionalized account of the disappearance of Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold, a wealthy heiress.

And I know I don't have a lot to say about Lost, but it was really good! I love the historical aspect of the book, and the author's imagining of what happened to Dorothy Arnold. This book reminds us how far we've come in so little time. It's terrible what wages used to be, how hard employers were allowed to work their employees, and in what conditions those employees were expected to work. I would offer this book to a young adult so they could get a glimpse of how things used to be, and how important and amazing it is that we've come so far. I ate this book up, and I'm sure young adults will as well.

LOST is the riveting story of Essie, a shirtwaist factory girl in early twentieth century New York. Essie is a character to care about, to make a reader turn the page, as if reading on will help Essie find what she has lost.

Essie's fierce determination and skill with her hands gets her through life. Her can-do attitude helps her fix any problem. But it's her love for her young sister Zelda that gives her life purpose. Essie's budding love for her fire-escape friend and her curiosity about a mysterious new factory girl add texture and intrigue. Davies weaves these threads of Essie's life together until she is so real we are sure we know her.

When Essie survives the 1911 Triangle Waist Company fire, she is finally able to face another tragedy. She accepts what her conscious mind has buried and acknowledges what she has lost.

Sometimes a novel just tugs at your heart. This novel is set in New York City in 1911. Essie is seventeen and employed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and living in a state of denial about the death of her younger sister, Zelda. Essie's mother was still a grieving widow when Zelda was born, so Essie took charge of caring for Zelda. One day, a new girl comes to work at the factory and Essie is asked to show her the job. Essie becomes very intrigued, by the mysterious Harriet and the two become friends. Essie's brother is arrested and Essie discovers Harriet's picture at the police station. The story comes to a climax with the infamous fire. There is mystery, romance and psychological drama. Readers will feel a connection with Essie, on the one hand a very practical, mature and hard-working young woman and on the other, a girl with a lost mind caught up in dreams and pretend. The sense of place is very strong, as are the characters. The historical context of working conditions for young women, as well as the social expectations for women, gives today's readers pause for thought.